Clearing the air: UC Berkeley study finds simple steps keep smoke at bay indoors

California residents can cut the particulate matter in their homes in half during wildfire season by closing windows, using air filtration systems and cooking less, a University of California at Berkeley study found.

Raging wildfires across the state have increased the amount of particulate matter in the Bay Area, leading to unhealthy air quality. Using crowdsourced data from more than 1,400 buildings in San Francisco and Los Angeles, UC Berkeley researchers were able to conclude that efforts to reduce smoke infiltration were effective at substantially reducing indoor air pollution.